Keep employees safe with health and safety training
Posted on 11th Oct, 2016 | By Lorretta Tatham
Did you know that nearly half of the UK’s workplaces have never had an official health and safety inspection? While on the surface this might seem a good thing, it does put more businesses at risk. Without experts pointing out flaws in health and safety practices and monitoring such behaviours, poor health and safety standards can become a real problem. Whatever your business, proper health and safety training is critical.
A decline in safety inspections
According to a new Trades Union Congress survey published in September, more than 80% of construction workplaces have never had a health and safety inspection. This is despite the fact that there were 65,000 work-related injuries and 67,000 work related illnesses in this sector in 2015. In fact, the only sector in which the majority (57%) of businesses received an inspection was the manufacturing industry.
One of the reasons behind fewer inspections is government cuts, which has seen workplace inspections reduced by 97%. What’s more, this looks to get worse over coming years. By 2020, HSE’s funding will have been cut by nearly half – meaning inspections are likely to dip even further.
About the cuts, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
“It’s deeply worrying that nearly half of health and safety reps say their workplace has never been inspected by the HSE.
“And I am appalled that 80 per cent of reps in construction say their workplaces haven’t been inspected. Construction workplaces can be some of the most dangerous places to work.
“Huge cuts to the HSE and to local authorities continue to undermine vital safety protections at work. That means more workers at risk of accidents in unsafe workplaces every day.”
The need to improve safety at work
Changes in government policy also means that those injured at work can no longer expect big payouts. The government has restricted the ability of workers to claim compensation if they’re injured at work following employer negligence. This means that workplace health and safety is now down to you – the employer and employee. Without taking an active role in maintaining and improving health and safety, your workplace could suffer.
Health and safety training at Browns Safety Services
At Browns Safety Services, we know the importance and health and safety at work. That’s why we’ve designed a comprehensive range of courses, created to protect both your workplace and your staff.
Our must-attend offerings, suited to all industries, include:
For those that regularly use access equipment, we recommend:
Our popular specialist courses include:
Contact our Course Enquiries team on 01282 615517 to find out more.
Don’t forget to book your ladder inspections too. Regular inspection of on-site access equipment is critical to keeping employees safe at work.
Do you have any other tips for improving health and safety at work? If so, share them with us over on Twitter. You can tweet your tips to us @Brownssafety
